


Like a Bird, Fly Away

by ArchangelUnmei



Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Angst, Community: 31_days, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-02
Updated: 2010-09-02
Packaged: 2017-10-11 10:07:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/111228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArchangelUnmei/pseuds/ArchangelUnmei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, Sakura has the most startling insights.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like a Bird, Fly Away

**Author's Note:**

> June 13, 2009 ~ _Despair has no wings._  
> Set in Outo.

They'd never asked him about his tattoo.

Kurogane probably just didn't care. After all, he was just a stupid mage, and if the ninja ever wondered why his most important thing was a tattoo, he never asked. Then again, that wasn't really his way. If Kurogane didn't know something, he didn't ask, he observed and reasoned out the answer for himself. But either way, he still didn't know about Fai's tattoo.

It wasn't really surprising that Syaoran had never asked, he'd been understandably distracted at the time. He probably wouldn't have noticed Yuuko taking the other prices unless she'd hit him over the head with Ginryu a couple dozen times. So that was understandable.

Mokona was a bit harder to explain. It had proven several times that it was a lot more perceptive than its bouncy, squealy exterior seemed to suggest, but then again it also had surprisingly good discretion. So Fai could probably expect Mokona to make a few insightful comments in the future, even if it hadn't yet.

But Sakura, now, Sakura was easy. She'd been _asleep_. She'd never even _seen_ his tattoo.

So it was rather surprising, to say the least, when she propped her chin on her hands and said "You're a lot like a bird, Fai-san."

Fai was so surprised, he nearly dropped the glass he'd been cleaning. He looked over at her, blue eyes wide in for once unguarded surprise. Sakura was sitting on the other side of the counter, chin on her hands, mop propped up beside her where she'd just finished the floors. It was late, and they'd already closed, but Kurogane, Syaoran and Mokona (who'd gone along to ~~annoy~~ help them today) hadn't returned yet. She just looked at him, green eyes innocent and yet somehow solemn at the same time.

Fai managed to recover remarkably well, and laughed, going back to the glass he was washing. "What do you mean, Sakura-chan?"

She just looked at him, feet swinging back and forth where they didn't quite reach the ground, and Fai had the uncomfortable feeling that she knew exactly what she was saying. "In Hanshin, your kudan was a bird. Syaoran-kun told me. He said it was really strong."

Fai relaxed and grinned. "Ah, yes it was. And Kuro-chuu's was a huge dragon! As big as this building!"

Sakura just looked at him, playing with a strand of her hair and not following the subject change like Fai had hoped she would. "I don't remember much yet, but I remember there were a lot of birds in Clow. Little birds, like this," she held out her hand, where an imaginary songbird might perch. "They were so cute, and they sang so pretty. But they always flew away if you got to close or made too much noise."

Fai's smile froze in place. "Ah, is that so...?"

Sakura nodded, though her face softened into a little smile. "But, I remember the birds always seemed so happy, because they were free. They could fly wherever they wanted."

Fai didn't say anything, though his hands had stilled, the rag dripping soapy water unnoticed onto his foot.

"And I always thought," Sakura continued, unaware of the look on Fai's face where it was shadowed by his hair. "I always thought that it must be wonderful to be a bird, because you'd never be sad. If you were a little sad, you could sing to make yourself feel better, or fly for awhile. It must be so amazing to fly," her voice had turned a little dreamy as she smiled. "Up in the air, with the wind and the sun... I don't think anyone could be sad while they were flying. Don't you think so, Fai-san?" She grinned at him. "So, I think Fai-san must be like a bird, because you're always laughing, and it cheers me up so much!" She beamed at him, then turned with a happy cry as the front gate opened with a loud squeak.

Sakura hopped off her stool and ran to greet Syaoran. The sound of her throwing open the front door neatly masked the sound of the crash as the glass slipped from Fai's limp hands.


End file.
